Thursday, March 29, 2012

Discovery Bay Games Review & Giveaway!


I haven't played a board game in YEARS, so when I got the opportunity to review a game from Discover Bay Games, I was super excited!


Discovery Bay Games has a huge selection of games and puzzles to choose from, for all ages! It was so hard to choose, but I did eventually make a decision, and decided on the game Martini.




Connor and Merasia aren't quite at the age where they are interested in games, or where they understand how to play games, so I figured getting a more adult game would be fun for us and on the rare occasion we have friends over for a few drinks and hanging out. Notice I said RARE? That's why it has taken me so long to get this review and giveaway up and running, because it's not often we have the time or energy to entertain company. We did finally have the chance to try out this game last week, and it's not that bad! The directions were fairly easy to follow.


Contained in this game are 4 drink dice, 52 playing cards, 20 olive tokens, and 1 martini shaker. 




The cards come in varieties, such as type (dry, double, or dirty):




spirit (gin, vodka, or tequila):




action (shaken, stirred, or stand):




and garnish (olive, twist, or onion):




There are also some miscellaneous and wild cards contained in the deck:




To begin this game, each player gets four cards face down. The rest of the cards create the draw pile. The olives get placed to the side, to create the "olive jar." One player shakes the four dice in the shaker cup and rolls them onto the table to determine the Martini drink that must be made for the first round. Once the dice are rolled, they are placed in order of type, spirit, action, and garnish. After the dice are rolled, each player checks their hand and if they have cards that match the drink order, those cards get placed face down on the table. Wild cards can be played to match the Martini order. The play then moves counter clockwise, and begins with each player drawing one new card from the draw pile. You continue placing one card down per your turn if it matches the drink order, and end you turn by choosing a card for the discard pile. The first "Bartender" to complete the perfect matching drink order calls out the drink and ends the first round. The winner also receives  2 olives from the olive jar, and the first bartender to collect 5 olives wins the game!


It's pretty simple, right? We had fun playing this game with friends, and though we never ended up finishing (alcohol was involved, what can I say?), it was still lots of fun and easy to play, which is always a positive. I am totally turned away from games that have lots of instructions or are hard to understand and follow, and that makes me not want to play them at all, but this game was one of the best I have played in a long time, and I am sure it will get a lot of use out of us!


Purchase it: You can purchase this game and many others at Discovery Bay Games website.

WIN IT: One lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN this same Martini game! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!



Novica Review


I was recently contacted by a representative from Novica, a company in association with National Geographic, that sells home decor, jewelry, apparel, and paintings, all hand crafted from artists all over the world.


From their website:


"We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow.


At the deepest essence of our philosophy, we want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe.


We want you to know about who you're buying from. We want you to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it."


To say the items found at Novica are unique is an understatement. These products are beautiful, amazing, fine pieces of work that I truly believe you cannot find anywhere else, and if you did, it would be a cheap knock off and not nearly as genuine as what is found at Novica.

For my review, I received the Blue Topaz Pendant Necklace.


The first thing that intrigued me about this necklace was the circle design. I am a HUGE fan of polka dots/circles (just ask anyone who knows me! All our kids have polka dot blankets and sheets, Mason has polka dot cups and pacifiers, we have a circle design/polka dot shower curtain, bed set, etc. So, when I saw this necklace, I HAD to have it! 

I wasn't disappointed when I received the necklace several days later. The blue color is even more beautiful in person than in the photo. It's a little shorter than I expected so at first, I was worried it wouldn't fit but there was no worries, it fits fine and I actually like that it doesn't dangle too long, as it's hard to wear jewelry with 3 little ones grabbing at everything mommy has! :-)



I have gotten a lot of compliments when I have worn this necklace out, and Merasia is a big fan of it on mommy too. ;-)

It came packaged neatly in a adorable little box, and was even complete with a personal note from the designer who made the necklace. I love that! It makes me feel like a genuine, cared about customer, and not just another number or just another order.



Though I could not be more happy with the product I chose and received, there were so many other choices! Some of my other favorites were some of these Amethyst dangle earrings, these silver pendant necklaces, and these gorgeous silver cocktail rings.

You can purchase the necklace seen here, as well as all of the other products seen here and many, many more at Novica's website. For even more info and to follow along with new items and news, be sure to "Like" Novica's Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.

Novica is also offering a generous opportunity for me and my readers. For every reader of my blog that registers and buys a starter kit, I get a bonus $50 gift certificate, which I am sure some of you readers would love to win in a surprise giveaway! ;-) To do this, be sure to choose the option that says you heard about Novica Live through my blog, and leave the blog address. :-)

Vitamins Baby Review & Giveaway


I stumbled upon Vitamins Baby through another blog, and the name was the first thing that grabbed my attention. But when I finally checked out their site and products, I was hooked! Vitamins Baby is an online baby store complete with clothing, layette items, shoes, education materials, and accessories. 


From their website:


"For over 45 years, we have clothed America’s babies. We have made it our mission to provide some of the best-designed, highest quality baby products for newborn, infants and toddlers.


Our efforts have resulted in a combination of children’s awards and nominations. The satisfaction of knowing that we have helped parents connect emotionally with their newest addition is the most important reward of all."


For my review, I was sent one blankie buddy. Though I wanted a monkey to go along with our theme for Mason, I had to settle for a lion, as they didn't have any monkey blankie buddies at the time. Since I first received my blankie buddy, Vitamins Baby have several more different options for blankie buddies in their online store. 




I especially love these leopard print blankie buddies for little girls:




I have to say though, I do like the lion blankie buddy we received, and so does Mason:






Blankie buddies are light weight, and so soft! They are small too, so they are easy to throw in a diaper bag and take with us on long car rides or overnights, so he still has a snuggle buddy at night and on naps. So often, we find stuffed animals or other toys that are too heavy for little hands to hang on to, but blankie buddies are so light weight and easy for little ones to hold and play with.




They also make an easy distracting toy for times when I am struggling to change Mason's diaper and he wants to get away. I give him his blanke buddy, and he's distracted and content long enough to get changed.




Most of the time though, Mason's blankie buddy stays in his crib for his nap and bed times, as those seem to be the times he loves it most. I love it at these times too, as he usually cuddles it or strokes the soft fabric and dozes off....and a napping baby makes for a stress free mama! ;-) 





For my older children, they had blankets they took everywhere that they snuggled and loved (and still do!) While I love that, there have been times I wished we had something smaller and easier to take places for them to snuggle and find comfort with, such as these blankie buddies. But with Mason being the more difficult sleeper of the 3, and slightly harder to please, I am so thankful I discovered Vitamins Baby and blankie buddies for him and me.


Purchase it: You can purchase the blankie buddy seen here, along with several other styles and other products at Vitamins Baby website.

WIN IT: One lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN their very own 2 piece Blankie Buddy set! Simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below to enter!



Sunday, March 25, 2012

Soda Stream Review!


I've heard and seen the hype about Soda Stream for a while now, and have been dying to try it out for myself and see just what all the hype was about. So when the opportunity came for me to do a review for a Soda Stream machine, I jumped at the chance!




From their website:


"Making carbonated water and soft drinks is simple! Turn tap water into sparkling water in under 30 seconds, with no clean-up. Enjoy the freshness and convenience of homemade soda and protect the environment at the same time. No heavy bottles to carry, store at home or throw away. Fizz to your taste and add the flavor of your choice to make your favorite drink. Simple to clean and reuse. With a variety of colors and silhouettes, you'll be sure to find a soda maker to match with any decor."



For my review, I received a fountain jet with two soda bottles, one carbonating canister, and lots and lots of various flavored soda and water mixes to play with and test out, including:


Green Tea Pomegranate Peach
Diet Lemon Lime (Sprite)
Root Beer
Cola Free (Coke Zero)
Ginger Ale
Energy Drink (Red Bull)
Black Currant Pear
Pink Grapefruit
Orange 








The day I received the kit, I wanted to try it out right away. The first thing I noticed was that it was very easy to get started. The instructions were easy to follow. The carbonation canister slips into the back of the fountain jet, and that's all there is for putting the kit together. After that, you fill the soda bottle with very cold water up to the fill line, and it attaches to the fountain kit by screwing in the top of the bottle to the top of the fountain kit, similar to how a soda cap screws on to the top of the bottle. When you have done that, you push the lever on the top of the fountain jet to carbonate the water. There are a recommended number of times to carbonate the water, depending on your preference for how carbonated you like your soda. 












When you have carbonated the water, you unscrew the soda bottle from the machine, pour in the flavor mix you want, put the cap on the bottle, and lightly shake to mix. Voila! You are all done! 


Now, I have to be honest in that I was slightly skeptical as to how the end result would taste, but it really does taste just like the soda you buy in the store! I know it seems like there are a lot of instructions, but it only looks like a lot in writing. When you are actually doing it, it's so quick and easy! It takes me less than five minutes to make soda, it's really that simple. 


You definitely don't notice a difference in taste, and it's cheaper and you get more for your money, in my personal opinion. I have tried almost all of the flavors that came with my kit, and have loved them all. They are all so yummy!


Soda Stream is also good for the environment. There are no empty soda cans or bottles to be thrown away or to have to find the time to gather up and take to a bottle redemption center, and no more paying bottle deposits like you do when buying soda from the store. Soda Streams also make great gifts for friends and family!


I am glad I got the chance to try Soda Stream for myself, and I can give firsthand experience to my friends and family members who may be interested. I am also now a loyal Soda Stream customer myself, and will be re ordering from them when I run out of flavors and carbonation. :-)


To purchase your own Soda Stream and accessories and flavors, visit their website today!

Tiny Tillia From Avon Review & Giveaway!

I don't know one person who hasn't heard of Avon products before. My grandmother used to sell Avon, my mother used to sell it, and I even used to be an Avon representative. Now, my best friend is an Avon representative (check out her blog HERE) and Avon has a new product line called Tiny Tillia, just for infants and toddlers! They have everything from clothes, bedding, accessories, toys, and bath and body items and even a few things just for mama. 


I recently got the chance to review a few items from the Tiny Tillia line of products. For my review, I received a pant and sweatshirt outfit for Mason, along with the Duncan Dog Buddy and Bath Set in Citrus Sorbet scent. 





First, we tried the outfit on Mason. I love that the sweatshirt is light, but thick enough to keep Mace warm on chilly days or chilly spring/summer evenings. The pants have plenty of room for him to grow into, and the outfit looks adorable on him. Getting pictures of him in it were another story.....he would not stop moving long enough for me to get some good photos!








We have had unseasonably warm weather here lately, and this sweatshirt has seen a lot of use in the last couple of weeks! It's cute, light weight, and cozy, and the pants look so comfy on Mason! 

As for the Duncan buddy and shampoo/body wash....I LOVE it! Mason sleeps with Duncan in his crib, and we use this body wash/shampoo every time he takes a bath, and I will be purchasing more when we run out! This is the most amazing body wash/shampoo I have EVER used! It smells better then you could ever imagine!!!! I wish you could test smells through photos, because then everyone could see what I was talking about, but truly, I cannot express how yummy this body wash smells! It smells like adult men's body wash or after shave gel or something along those lines....it just smells so "grown up" and delicious! 

With Mason's old shampoo (a very popular baby brand company), the smell would be gone by the next day from his hair....with this shampoo, it lasts for days! Several days after his bath, Mason's hair still smells like it was just washed that morning! I love that it lasts for so long and keeps him smelling fresh and clean. Before we tried this soap, Mason's little bitty toes used to get a little stinky, even with washing them in the bath and as often as we did. Nothing seemed to work. But this soap takes the smell away, so there is no scent at all, or a pleasant one, rather then sweaty and gross.

I am very happy with the products I received from Tiny Tillia, and the quality of them as well. To buy the products listed here and many others, check out Jenn's Tiny Tillia website HERE and place an order today! If you don't live in the Vermont area, you can search for a Tiny Tillia/Avon representative for your state and town and order through them. 

WIN IT: ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to win $50 worth of products from Tiny Tillia!! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Midnight Velvet Review


When I was first contacted by Midnight Velvet and asked to participate in a review of their products, I was so excited. I had seen some of their products and reviews on other blogs, and knew they had a wide array of products and it would be a great opportunity to work together with this company.

Midnight Velvet doesn't only have beautiful and fashionable women's and men's clothing and shoes, but household products, jewelry, health and beauty products, and other accessories. There is so much to choose from! 

One of my absolute favorite products I found on this site were these boots:


I'm a typical girl and loooove shoes and boots! 

Another one of my favorites was the Garden Gate Comforter Set.



At the time I was approached to do this review, hubs and I were in the process of getting a new bed. We were in desperate need of a new, bigger bed, and therefore, a comforter set to fit it! I fell in love with this one and was so excited to get it for review.

I was not disappointed with this product one bit! Included in the bedding set were two pillow shams, a comforter, and bed skirt. We have never been fans of bed skirts, and unfortunately in trying to put this one on our bed, it ripped, but that didn't bother me one bit. The comforter was just as it looks in this picture above....SO BIG and fluffy! 




I wasted no time in getting this set on our bed! I LOVE the fluffiness of the comforter! It's so cozy and comfortable!

In this pic, you can see how thick it really is:


It's a little hard to see, but you get the idea.

I love the colors on the set, ad love the detailed design. It's so intricate and formal.



The comforter could also be reversible if we wanted it to be, as it's just pure black on the opposite side.


We probably won't do that though, as I love the design on this set, and love how elegant it looks. It definitely makes the rest of our room look elegant and gorgeous, which is the look we are working on going for. 

As I said before, I could not be more happy with this set, and it was the best choice! It's an item that will be getting a lot of great use by us, and something that we can be proud to show off and use.

To purchase this product and many others, visit Midnight Velvet today!

Summer Infant Giveaway WINNER!


  • Name: Angie Martinez Facebook
  • Option: Tweet About the Giveaway
  • Extra Info: https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fngelicamtz%2Fstatus%2F182963126000553984
  • Time: Thu Mar 22 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Congratulations Angie!!

Angie has 48 hours to reply to my email and claim her prize, or I will be forced to choose a different winner.

Thanks to all who entered and for following my blog! :-)

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Natural House Cleaning Products Review & Giveaway!

Sponsored by Tomoson.com



Anyone that knows me, knows that I can be a bit of a clean freak. And I am sure all of our friends and family who visited in the last several weeks were wondering why in the world was I letting some of the housework be thrown to the side, so to speak, and let certain things get as dirty as they did. The answer is simple:


I have reviewed other natural cleaning products in the past, both for blog reviews or just from buying the products on my own in the store. But I have always found something wrong with them...the smell was terrible, or they didn't work as well as they claimed to. So I gave up on my search. Until I was offered the chance to review a 30 day supply of Flushy, Trashy, and Sinky from Natural House Cleaning Products.


To truly put these products to the test, I let my bathroom toilet get particularly disgusting and nasty. When I thought it had seen enough bodily fluids, dirt, grime, and nastiness, I decided to try out "Flushy." This was 2 seconds after dropping one tablet into my yucky potty:


(Notice the yucky yellow/brown stains and nice ring around the toilet? I warned you I let it get realllly dirty!)

A few seconds later, this is what my toilet looked like:


The tablet started to enlarge slightly, while shooting out these powerful, fun-to-look-at blue crystals.




After waiting several minutes for Flushy to work it's magic, I got out the toilet bowl brush and went to town on scrubbing. Much to my pleasant surprise, I didn't have to do much scrubbing though! The grime came right off with no problem, and the toilet looked better than it ever has for the 7 months we have lived here!


I was very, very satisfied with this product. This is one of the best toilet cleaning products I have ever used, and that's saying a lot! It takes minimal effort or time, which is important for me, as I don't have all the time in the world to spend on heavy duty cleaning. This take the time and work out of it! It works all by itself, and all I have to do is wait a few minutes, scrape away the dirt and grime, and flush! Unlike other products I have tried, I don't have to touch it up right afterwards, and don't have to worry about cleaning the toilet every other day because it's dirty again. It stays clean for a while afterwards, which is another added bonus.

Now, another issue we have had in our home is our trash can. No matter what I do, it always stinks! We use scented trash bags which helps a little bit, but the smell when we take a bag out full of trash to put a new bag in, is horrendous at times. Who wants to get down and dirty and scrub their trash can by hand every day or even  every week? Nobody! With Trashy, I just spray a little on the inside of the trash can all over, let it sit, then put a clean bag in or wipe it out with a towel first, and then replace the bag. Once again, very very easy and low key. The scent is very pleasant as well. Kind of minty but not strong or overpowering at all.


And, as you have probably already guessed, I was just as satisfied with Sinky too. Our kitchen sink takes a beating! I do dishes 2 or 3 times a day to stay on top of it and keep them from piling up, because then it's way too stressful for me, and in my life...the less stress or less chores to do, the better. Between old, gross, stinky food that the kids throw in the sink, old rotten milk (from the occasionally lost sippy cup or bottle), to hubs old beer cans that sit overnight at times and get dumped the next day, the sink is one very messy place, and can get stinky at times. With sinky, I have found the solution to that disgusting and smelly sink! It works very fast and with no fuss at all, just like flushy. And there is little to no scent, so it's not annoying. You simply toss a tablet into your sink drain, and it works in seconds. While it not only "pleasant-sizes" (yes, I made that word up) the sink and the drain, it helps in cleaning and maintaining the pipes below. 


I am so glad I found easy to use and reliable cleaning products for three of the most important cleaning areas in our home. For a busy mom, these products are God sends!


Purchase it: You can purchase the above products and many more at Natural House Cleaning Products website.

WIN IT:


ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN a 30 day supply of Flushy, Trashy, and Sinky for themselves! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!